Contratos públicos y corrupción: una visión sistémica del modelo brasileño

[ES] La Administración Pública, como gerente del Estado, para alcanzar los objetivos fundamentales de la República Federativa de Brasil, de construir una sociedad libre, justa y solidaria; garantizar el desarrollo nacional; erradicar la pobreza y la marginación y reducir las desigualdades sociales y regionales y promover el bien de todos, sin discriminación alguna, dispone del instrumento de contrato para adquisiciones de bienes, servicios y obras junto a las entidades privadas. De esta relación de negocio derivan casi siempre conductas irregulares de sus servidores y de los funcionarios de las entidades privadas, consideradas ímprobas en los aspectos civiles y delictivos en los aspectos criminales, que como consecuencia promueve daños al erario público y subvierten los principios elementales de la Administración Pública de la legalidad, moralidad, impersonalidad, publicidad y eficiencia. Por otro lado, se sabe que la Administración Pública por ser la mayor consumidora de los bienes, servicios y obras, no puede prescindir de la relación de negocio hecha para, a través de la libre competencia e igualdad de tratamiento, garantizar el desarrollo nacional de las empresas. Para cohibir las conductas irregulares de los agentes públicos y privados en la relación de negocio mencionada, en especial, llevándose en consideración la destreza de los agentes corruptos que desean enriquecerse, se presenta las fallas de los mecanismos de control y, en la secuencia, las propuestas de alteraciones de estos controles, para, por si acaso no erradique la corrupción, al menos la inhiba a porcentajes y cifras monetarias que no impida el desarrollo y el progreso del Estado Brasileño

Razine atrazina u vodotoku Jaboticabal (São Paulo, Brazil) i njihovi toksikološki učinci na ribu Piaractus mesopotamicus

The aim of this study was to determine the environmental concentration of atrazine (ATZ) in five streams located in the north of São Paulo state (Brazil) and evaluate its toxicological impact on young specimens of the pacu fish Piaractus mesopotamicus. Samples of water were collected on three occasions between 2010 and 2011, corresponding to periods signifying the beginning, middle, and end of rain season. ATZ levels were estimated by a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) triple quadrupole. Later, the quotient of environmental risk (QR) was determined based on the medium lethal concentration (LC50 48 h), non-observable effect concentration (NOEC), and the estimated environmental concentration (EEC) of ATZ detected in the environment. Histological changes in gills and liver were also studied, along with the brain activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The highest concentration of ATZ measured was 10.4 μg L-1. The ATZ LC50 (48 h) for young P. mesopotamicus was 24.46 mg L-1 and the QR was classified as “safe”. Although the QR indicated that ATZ could be safe for the tested species, it caused many histological alterations in the liver and gills of the exposed specimens, and an increase in the AChE levels.Predmet ovoga istraživanja bio je odrediti okolišne koncentracije atrazina u pet vodotoka na sjeveru brazilske savezne države São Paulo te ocijeniti njihove toksikološke učinke na ribu Piaractus mesopotamicus. Uzorci vode prikupljeni su u tri navrata između 2010. i 2011. godine, i to na početku, usred i pri kraju kišne sezone. Razine atrazina mjerene su trostrukim kvadrupolom s vezanim sustavom tekućinska kromatografija visoke djelotvornosti-spektrometrija mase (HPLC-MS/MS). Potom je izračunat kvocijent okolišnog rizika (QR) na temelju srednje smrtonosne koncentracije (LC50 48 h), maksimalne koncentracije bez učinka (NOEC) te procijenjene okolišne koncentracije (EEC) atrazina pronađenog u okolišu. Nadalje, istražene su histološke promjene u škrgama i jetri te izmjerena aktivnost enzima acetilkolinesteraze (AChE) u mozgu. Najviša izmjerena razina atrazina bila je 10.4 μg L-1. LC50 (48 h) atrazina za mlade jedinke P. mesopotamicus bio je 24.46 mg L-1, a QR je klasificiran kao „siguran“. Premda QR upućuje na to da bi se atrazin mogao okarakterizirati sigurnim za ispitanu vrstu, uzrokovao je ne samo brojne histološke promjene u jetri i škrgama izloženih jedinki, nego i porast razina AChE u mozgu

Alteration of the isoenzymes patterns in corn seeds infected by fungi

Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a interferência dos fungos Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme e Penicillium spp. sobre padrões eletroforéticos das sementes de milho. Tais padrões são, normalmente, utilizados na identificação de cultivares e na certificação da pureza genética da espécie em estudo. Sementes da cultivar C-805 foram infectadas artificialmente com os referidos fungos; outra parte delas foi tratada com Benomil e Thiabendazol, e ainda outra parte (controle) não foi tratada. As amostras foram acondicionadas em câmara de crescimento (25 oC, 95% de umidade relativa) por um período de 30 dias. Na análise eletroforética foi avaliada também uma amostra de sementes que não permaneceu em câmara de crescimento, visando detectar possíveis interferências das condições do ambiente de crescimento sobre os padrões eletroforéticos. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que a infecção das sementes com os fungos Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme e Penicillium spp. promove alterações nos padrões eletroforéticos das isoenzimas malato-desidrogenase, esterase, fosfatase ácida, peroxidase e glutamato-oxalacetato-transaminase. A infecção das sementes com Aspergillus flavus promove alterações tanto na intensidade como no número de bandas dos padrões isoenzimáticos da álcool-desidrogenase e malato-desidrogenase.This work aimed at studying the interference of the fungi Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme and Penicillium spp. on the electrophoretic patterns of corn seeds. Normally, these patterns are used in the identification of cultivars and certification of genetic purity of this species. Seeds of the cultivar C-805 were artificially inoculated with the referred fungi; part was treated with Benomyl and Thiabendazole and part was untreated. All seed samples were stored in growing chamber incubator at 25 °C and 95% of relative humidity for 30 days. In the electrophoretic analysis, a seed sample was also evaluated which had not been kept in growing chamber incubator, in order to detect possible interferences of the growing chamber environment on the electrophoretic patterns. The results allowed to conclude that the seed infection by the Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme and Penicillium spp. fungi promotes alterations in the electrophoretic patterns of the malate-dehydrogenase, esterase, acid phosphatase, peroxidase and glutamate-oxalacetate-transaminase isoenzymes. Infection by Aspergillus flavus caused considerable alteration in both intensity and number of bands of the isoenzymatic patterns of alcohol-dehydrogenase and malate-dehydrogenase

Population structure of Eupemphix nattereri (Amphibia, Anura, Leiuperidae) from Central Brazil

This study reports on 156 specimens of the amphibian Eupemphix nattereri, a widely distributed leiuperid, obtained from 11 municipalities of central Brazil. The extent of genetic variation was quantified by determining the mean number of alleles per locus and the proportion of polymorphic loci. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed on the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) haplotypes. The genetic distances obtained by calculating pairwise phist among local samples were used to determine population relationships using the unweighted pair-group method (UPGMA) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). The cophenetic correlation was calculated to confirm agreement between the genetic matrix and the unweighted pair group method with averages (UPGMA) dendrogram. To determine if genetic distances were correlated to geographical distances we constructed pairwise genetic distance and geographical distance matrices and compared them using the Mantel test. The AMOVA results indicated significant genetic differences (p < 0.001) between E. nattereri populations, representing 69.5% of the within population genetic diversity. The Mantel test showed no significant correlation (r = 0.03; p = 0.45) between the genetic and geographical distance matrices. Our findings indicate that the genetic variation of E. nattereri populations was randomly distributed in geographic space and that gene flow for this species is probably structured at spatial scales smaller than those between our sample

The Genome of Anopheles darlingi, the main neotropical malaria vector

Anopheles darlingi is the principal neotropical malaria vector, responsible for more than a million cases of malaria per year on the American continent. Anopheles darlingi diverged from the African and Asian malaria vectors ∼100 million years ago (mya) and successfully adapted to the New World environment. Here we present an annotated reference A. darlingi genome, sequenced from a wild population of males and females collected in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 10 481 predicted protein-coding genes were annotated, 72% of which have their closest counterpart in Anopheles gambiae and 21% have highest similarity with other mosquito species. In spite of a long period of divergent evolution, conserved gene synteny was observed between A. darlingi and A. gambiae. More than 10 million single nucleotide polymorphisms and short indels with potential use as genetic markers were identified. Transposable elements correspond to 2.3% of the A. darlingi genome. Genes associated with hematophagy, immunity and insecticide resistance, directly involved in vectorhuman and vectorparasite interactions, were identified and discussed. This study represents the first effort to sequence the genome of a neotropical malaria vector, and opens a new window through which we can contemplate the evolutionary history of anopheline mosquitoes. It also provides valuable information that may lead to novel strategies to reduce malaria transmission on the South American continent. The A. darlingi genome is accessible at www.labinfo.lncc.br/index.php/anopheles- darlingi. © 2013 The Author(s)

The complete genome sequence of Chromobacterium violaceum reveals remarkable and exploitable bacterial adaptability

Chromobacterium violaceum is one of millions of species of free-living microorganisms that populate the soil and water in the extant areas of tropical biodiversity around the world. Its complete genome sequence reveals (i) extensive alternative pathways for energy generation, (ii) ≈500 ORFs for transport-related proteins, (iii) complex and extensive systems for stress adaptation and motility, and (iv) wide-spread utilization of quorum sensing for control of inducible systems, all of which underpin the versatility and adaptability of the organism. The genome also contains extensive but incomplete arrays of ORFs coding for proteins associated with mammalian pathogenicity, possibly involved in the occasional but often fatal cases of human C. violaceum infection. There is, in addition, a series of previously unknown but important enzymes and secondary metabolites including paraquat-inducible proteins, drug and heavy-metal-resistance proteins, multiple chitinases, and proteins for the detoxification of xenobiotics that may have biotechnological applications